The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1887-10-16
THE wORLDLN MANS SERMON.


Many sensible and conscientious men
who believe in God, but who are not in
huenced by the technical teachings OF
.heologians, arrive at their belief after a
long period Of absolute skepticism Seek
ing TO Justify their doubt they strike
vein OF reasoning that leads to the other
result, and the Atheistc, authors may accl-
dentally involve a cold argument IN a
contradiction that will wrench the fallacy
out Of il. and turn the student into a
higher path of thought. When arrived
Al point Of sarcastic contemplation oi
al orthodox theories with the conclusion
shat what is called religion must be
automatically demonstrated TO De ac-
cepied. the skeptic feeling convinced
that he came from nowhere and mus go
10 nothing, discaris utterly ihc theorie,
shat came from revelations
Letus see if only foruoveltys sake how
such man will start again TO look for
that relief which the soul longs for after
it has been fettered instead of freed by
reason. II the man has not a soul. but
merely an intellectual being That inhabits
mis- physical tenement ne is capable only
OF that sort Of absolute technical reason
inr that constitutes a mathematical for
mula. but if he is susceptible to pity, love,
and charity, the emotions that from out
ward impressions combine the physical,
mental and spiritual. condition, then he
will in the course of lifes cxperiencefind
himself in the position OF that tabled
prince who was so situated that he had
never been conscious of the suffering OF
humanity, but when accidentally looking
beyond hi, palace suddenly became
aware Of the condition Of his fellow man
and was startled into the revelation of his
own soul
4 modern writer claims to have found
the KEY TO correct consideration Of the
question of mans relation to a God by
,he analysis of She lriune method of reo-
soning. Thus The man through his
senses conveys an impression TO his mind
and the first operation is an intellectual
effort, bat if a moral question is the re-
suit, and hc is brought to contemplate il
instead Of our outside material question.
then the impression OF the senses upon
the mind brings him TO the bar of his
conscience, and he fnds there q judge,
who calls him before % still higher court,
and out OF his own uature is evolved
the conviction that there Is spiritual
condition entirely different from the
physical or the mental or both of the lat
ter combined
To put this to a practical Illustration
the man may see am act that his mind
will pass judgment on as bad, bat If his
mind in a state of introactiye contem.
plation begins To consider the moral fea-
lures Of the case. hc loses sight of the
mere impression, and seeks to try the Of
fence before an imaginary tribunal. and
il becomes presently AN abstraction. If
the act that has caused this state of mind
is not one that the law takes notice Of, he
will ask himself if there is no judge that
will right The wrong and says this writer
to whom we refer at once he finds
himself in the presence Of just and
benign God whom he has created within
himself.
At this point We quote The famous
preacher Robertson who cOuuses men to
look within their own nature to find their
God
But when the contemplatige mind has
found this capacity to imagine judge of
supreme justice and mercy and goodness
he also finds that there is more for that,
Judge to do than his own creation of him
can compass.
Let us retrace our steps to the point
where the skeptical man demands a
mathematical demonstration and see
where the instance is pointed out
We conclude that there is certain
harmony Of action and development in
the matter, and animals and men around
Us, and that in the long lapse OF ages ele-
mental forces have borne the fruit Of
some sort Of order which we attribute in
the affairs of men to the cooperative in
telligence in war or peace, and in laws
and customs.
But when the evolutionist, says the
Duke Of Argyle, argues from an origi-
nal development from matter according
TO surrounding circumstances their in
duction fails to note in the animal world
great and startling fact. lie meets the
denial OF God 10y this simple state
ment; Two insects come from different